Major David Phillips - Taking Bold Action for Strategic Stability in East Asia

NucleCast

Major David Phillips discusses his article on the feasibility, acceptability, and suitability of redeploying non-strategic nuclear weapons to South Korea. He highlights the need for the US to re-examine its policy goal of achieving denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and suggests that the redeployment of nuclear weapons would strengthen deterrence and assurance in the region. He emphasizes the importance of fully informed conversations among US policymakers and the need for bold action to ensure strategic stability in East Asia.

Major David Phillips (Jobs) is a Nuclear and Missile Operations Officer in the United States Air Force, current student at the School of Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies (SANDS), member of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Mid-Career Cadre, and former Nuclear Scholar with the CSIS. His latest nuclear policy research, “Nuclear Redeployment: A Roadmap for Returning Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons to the Korean Peninsula,” examines the feasibility, acceptability, and suitability of the United States returning nuclear weapons to the Republic of Korea; this research was nominated and selected for the 2024 General Larry D. Welch Deterrence Writing Award. David has over 9,000 nuclear command and control alert hours in support of our national defense and strategic deterrent across three nuclear weapon platforms. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree and Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Denver as well as a graduate certificate in Great Power Competition from the Naval Postgraduate School.

(PDF) Nuclear Redeployment: A Roadmap for Returning Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons to the Korean Peninsula (researchgate.net)

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Congratulations on Winning the Larry D. Welch Writing Award

02:06 Motivation Behind the Article: The Dangerous Situation on the Korean Peninsula

04:18 Main Findings: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Suitability of Redeployment

06:48 Costs and Affordability of the Redeployment Proposal

08:49 US Policy and the Acceptability of Redeploying Nuclear Weapons

11:20 Suitability of Redeployment as a Solution to Deterrence Challenges

23:35 Re-examining US Policy on Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula

29:59 Taking Bold Action for Strategic Stability in East Asia

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